I’m delighted to welcome Judith Sterling to the blog today.  Her excerpt is from Shadow of the Swan (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book Three)

With hands clasped behind his back, he studied the tapestry. “Lady Ravenwood’s grandmother made this,” he remarked. “The ones in the solar, too. Uncommon skill!”

Constance moved to stand beside him. “Indeed. I’ve never seen its equal. And what a fetching scene.”

He turned to her but said nothing.

After a moment, she met his gaze. “Why do you stare at me?”

Follow along next week at Mary Morgan’s blog:  http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog

and you can find Roger and Lucy on Judith’s blog today so don’t forget to head over and see what they’re up to.

Lady Constance de Bret was determined to be a nun, until shadows from the past eclipsed her present.  Marriage is the safest option, but she insists on a spiritual union, in which physical intimacy is forbidden.  Not so easy with a bridegroom who wields unparalleled charm!  But a long-buried secret could taint his affection and cloak her in shadow forever.

Back from the Crusades, Sir Robert le Donjon craves a home of his own and children to inherit it.  From the moment he meets Constance, he feels a mysterious bond between them.  When she’s threatened, he vows to protect her and agrees to the spiritual marriage, with the hope of one day persuading her to enjoy a “real” one.  She captivates him but opens old wounds and challenges everything he thought he believed.

Two souls in need of healing.  Two hearts destined to beat as one.

Buy Links

Amazon:  https://amzn.com/B078JYQDTX

Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-the-swan-judith-sterling/1127751024?ean=2940158925597

The Wild Rose Press:  https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5561-shadow-of-the-swan.html

Welcome back.  This week I’m delighted to welcome Ceci Giltenan with an excerpt from A Wee Highland Predicament: A Duncurra Legacy Novel

“Nay, we can’t go to Castle Carr. The Carrs and the Macraes are not allies. I wouldn’t be welcome there.”

That wasn’t completely true. There was no formal relationship between the Carrs and the Macraes but neither were they enemies. But this young woman was not likely to be well-versed on clan politics. The Grants and the Carrs had allied themselves nearly eighty years ago through marriage, but that bond had weakened over time. Still, none of that really mattered. Nothing under God’s blue heaven would make Lucas hand this little treasure over to anyone. He was returning home without a betrothal. William wasn’t going to be happy, but the ransom Laird MacLennan’s sister-in-law would bring might go a long way to soothing his ire.

“The best plan is for me to take ye home.”

Follow along next week on Jenna Jaxson’s website: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/. Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of A Wee Highland Predicament or another e-book of your choice by Ceci Giltenan.

Remember, you can find all the excerpts via Twitter using #MedMon18 and you can find Roger and Lucy over on Ceci’s blog today www.cecigiltenan.com

Sometimes a bad boy can be a good man.

Lucas Grant’s brother is going to be furious. Lucas was supposed to secure a betrothal with a wealthy heiress to save his clan from financial ruin. After meeting her, he cannot marry the detestable woman.

As he flees Edinburgh to escape her, he happens upon six men who are holding a lovely Highland lass captive. He can’t just leave her to whatever fate awaits, so he rescues her.

Well, perhaps rescue isn’t the right word…

When he learns the feisty lass he stumbled upon is Ailsa MacLennan, he sees another way to help his clan. He’s going to hold her for ransom.

But when she steals his heart, what will the ransom be?

Buy Links:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0799T7KB3

Amazon Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0799T7KB3

Welcome back to another Medieval Monday. Today I’m delighted to welcome fellow Mills and Boon author Jenni Fletcher. She’s sharing an excerpt from Besieged and Betrothed.

‘If I surrender, do you promise that my men won’t be harmed?’

‘They won’t even be prisoners. They can join Sir Guian’s men or they can leave. Whichever they choose.’

‘All right. As long as you understand that every decision I’ve made since the battle has been mine and mine alone. I take full responsibility for everything. Any punishment should come to me.’

He felt vaguely unsettled again. What did that mean? The solemn way that she said it suggested there was something else, something he didn’t know about, that she took responsibility for.

‘I’m not here to punish anybody, Lady Juliana. I told you, the Empress only wants the bridge.’

Ruthless warrior Lothar the Frank has laid siege to Castle Haword, but there’s a fiery redhead in his way—and she’s not backing down!

More tomboy than trembling maiden, Lady Juliana Danville would rather die than lose the castle. When she’s caught on opposite sides of a war, a marriage bargain is brokered to bring peace. But is blissful married life possible when Juliana has a dangerous secret hidden within the castle walls?

Buy Links:

http://bit.ly/2yZxh8T   Barnes & Noble

http://amzn.to/2uNq4CW  Amazon US

http://amzn.to/2sM1FfV    Amazon UK

http://apple.co/2jinIY9  iTunes

Don’t forget to head over to Jenni’s blog to discover what Roger and Lucy are getting up to.

This Medieval Monday I’m delighted to welcome Barbara Bettis to the blog.  She’s sharing an excerpt from The Lady of the Forest.

She leaned over to brush a strand of dark hair from his face. Her fingers lingered on his forehead. On impulse, she rounded the table and enveloped the boy in a hug. For a very brief moment, his thin shoulders softened, and he leaned into her embrace.

In less than two heartbeats, he pulled away, his bravado once again in place. “What’ll we do, Cade?” he asked. “You can count on me.”

“I know. You’re very brave. But right now, I think we must try to rest. Ideas come better to a fresh mind. And if a fight comes, it wouldn’t do to yawn right when we need to let loose an arrow, now would it?”

He giggled at her words and got to his feet.

“Don’t forget to wash your face and hands, and use the willow twig on your teeth.”

He wrinkled his nose. “All right,” he grumbled, heading for the corner where a basin sat beside a wooden bucket filled with water.

Kate sighed. She couldn’t wait for morning. Fresh mind or no, she had to devise a plan to free them both. She wouldn’t wait for Alyss’s reply.

Follow along next week at www.marymorganauthor.com. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance at an ebook of your choice.

Remember, you can find all the excerpts with the hashtag #MedMon18 on Twitter.

You can find Roger and Lucy over on Barbara’s blog today. www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com

BLURB:

He must pursue his enemy; she must protect her people. Can their love survive the duties that drive them apart?

When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn’t an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.

Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate’s past catches her.

When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.

Buy Links: AMAZON  TWRP

Welcome back to another Medieval Monday. Today I’m delighted to welcome Mary Morgan with an excerpt from A Highland Moon Enchantment.

Taking the offered mug, Tam went and took a seat beside Bran. Lifting it toward Ailsa, he said, “Blessing to ye, lady.”

Smiling, she bowed her head slightly to the druid. Taking a sip of her own mead, she savored the honeyed sweetness.

Cathal took a place next to Angus. “’Tis good to see ye once again, Desmond. Ye did not return with your brothers after Samhain?”

“’Tis good to see ye, as well.” His mouth twitched in humor. “My sister considered it wise I should stay on until after Midwinter.”

The druid cast a quick glance at Fiona. “A wise woman indeed.” He turned toward Ailsa. “I am happy to meet ye, lady. I have heard your journey has been fraught with troubles. Thank the Gods ye came across the Dragon Knight and Desmond.”

You first meet this warrior in Dragon Knight’s Axe, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 3

Irish warrior, Desmond O’Quinlan has never surrendered his heart to any woman. He has no wish to have his soul tortured by love. Yet, the moment he locks gazes with Ailsa, his fate is destined for an adventure he never fathomed. He may have battled alongside a Dragon Knight, but his greatest challenge will come from within his own heart.

Ailsa MacDuff, a warrior among her clan, has no desire to have a man chain her to a life of obedience. However, that is before she meets Desmond. The temptation to allow this warrior inside her heart is a risk she dares to take, but one that could lead to a future of emptiness and sorrow. 

When betrayal looms from within, the battleground of love is no match for these two warriors. Can the power of a Highland full moon be strong enough to unite or destroy them?

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0767QVJBX/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-highland-moon-enchantment-mary-morgan/1127176325

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-highland-moon-enchantment/id1294140045?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-highland-moon-enchantment

Follow along next week on Cathy MacRae’s blog: https://www.cathymacraeauthor.com/bits-n-bobs-author-blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a signed print copy of A HIGHLAND MOON ENCHANTMENT.

You can find Roger and Lucy over on Mary’s blog today.

I’m delighted to welcome Ashley York to the blog this week with her intriguing excerpt from Eyes of the Seer (and isn’t this a gorgeous cover!).  I hope you enjoy it.

Marcán was not surprised that Merewyn’s smile was so fetching. In fact, there was nothing about her he did not care for. This may be a slave he took for himself.

“Ye’ve been given to me,” Astrid said.

Astrid would own her? Then she would definitely be off limits and his disappointment was acute.

Something stirred at Astrid’s tone. It had sharpened. Marcán looked on, intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. So much so he felt a second wind, his tiredness leaving.

You can find Ashley’s next excerpt on CathyMcRae’s blog, and if you’re wondering whether Lucy has finished giving Roger a tongue-lashing head over to Ashley’s blog and find out www.ashleyyorkauthor.com 

In ancient Ireland, men and women take to the legends for answers. Different-colored eyes are the mark of a Seer, it is said, and those who can see the future are in league with the devil. They cannot be suffered to live.

He wishes to prove himself…
Marcán of Clonascara bears the bloodline of Brian Boru, the legendary high king, and his prowess as a warrior has earned him great respect. But he was born with different-colored eyes, and there are some who would have him suffer a Seer’s fate. His fiercest adversary is Beibhinn, mother to Diarmuid, his close friend and king, and Astrid, the woman who holds his heart. If Astrid ever showed him any interest, he would fight Beibhinn and any army to wed her.

She is desperate to escape…
Astrid is sick of her mother’s belittling, but her brother is in no hurry to see her married, so she decides to see to her own match-making. The man she approaches quickly reveals his lack of honor, but her overbearing mother pushes her to wed him anyway. When Astrid discovers Marcán’s love for her, she realizes that what she wants has been in front of her all along. True happiness awaits them, but only if they can put a stop to her mother’s plans.

You can get hold of a copy of Eyes of the Seer here:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Seer-Derbfine-Book-2-ebook/dp/B072MFRH8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516211640&sr=8-1&keywords=eyes+of+the+seer

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1324663545

KOBO

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/eyes-of-the-seer-4

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eyes-of-the-seer-ashley-york/1126525453?ean=2940155444480

Brrr! It’s been a cold week chez Hobbes.  Luckily Lane McFarland is here to warm things up for us with an excerpt from A King’s Enemies

Hildred would be shocked at the opinion Katherine held toward the richly dressed men preening in front of her. There was no denying the depraved beasts were all alike. As part of the royal council, they no doubt felt entitled to take what they wanted, when they wanted, with little to no regard for whom they hurt. She abhorred their disgusting arrogance.

Having perfected the art of a shy demure handmaiden, Katherine smiled and lowered her gaze to her hands clasped before her waist.

“Come, my dear.” Hildred pointed toward one of the tables lined with platters of roasted boar and smoked salmon. “Let’s have something to eat.”

Follow along next week on Jenni Fletcher’s blog (http://www.jennifletcher.com) and leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook of A KING’S ENEMIES and head over to www.lanemcfarland.com to discover how Roger and Lucy are getting on this week.

Blurb:

Tormented by King Edward’s brutality against Scottish sympathizers, Drake Fletcher vows revenge, but only a madman single-handedly attacks the Crown. Instead, he enters the royal court as a spy to aid Robert the Bruce’s rise to power and place a formidable leader on Scotland’s throne.

Scottish lass Katherine Mackenzie Armstrong targets three of King Edward’s officers who brutally raped and murdered her mother. Disguised as one of Queen Margaret’s attendants, she sets a course to destroy the men.

The acts of treason both Drake and Katherine commit are punishable by death in The Tower of London but their determination pushes dangerous limits. Considered enemies, they use each other to gain vital information. Neither expect their overwhelming attraction to one another, the staggering emotions stirred. But the closer they become, the more they jeopardize their pledges of vengeance.

Will the weight of retaliation crush them, see them beheaded? Or will Katherine and Drake form an alliance and learn to live and love again?

Buy Link: Amazon

It’s time for another excerpt and today I have the wonderful Bambi Lynn with me.

Her snippet is from Mask of the Highlander.

She yelped when his hands closed around her shoulders from behind. He gave them a gentle squeeze and rubbed his palms down her arms.

“Ye are trembling, lass.”

Once she was afraid to touch him. Now she’s afraid to let go.

Forced to marry to avoid war between clans, Kenna Cleary endured three days of her new husband’s painful brutality before he rode off to battle the English. In the five years of his absence, she bore him a daughter, increased his holdings, and gained the love and respect of his people. Now he’s home. Must she and the clan learn to endure his cruelty once more?

The Laird of Domhnul has returned from war a changed man—moreso than his wife or clan can possibly know. Now the warrior faces a new battle, one for his wife’s heart, and his peoples’ trust. He must walk the knife’s edge of deception and danger, while proving he is no longer the cruel tyrant they came to know all too well.

But when his father embroils both them in a deadly plot, can the couple find a way to prevent war between the clans?

For more information Bambi and her books, click here.

Read Roger and Lucy’s snippet on Bambi’s blog www.bambilynnblog.wordpress.com

Welcome back to another Medieval Monday.  Are you enjoying the excerpts?  I know I am.  Today is no exception and I’m thrilled to welcome Ruth A Casie to the blog with an excerpt from The Guardian’s Witch

Quickly she pulled off her heavy dress and, wearing only her chemise, dove into the river. Save him was her only thought. Down she plunged kicking hard against the current. The usually clear water, now choked with mud, churned with debris. She screamed the words in her head and made her demands. In response, the current slowed and as the mud began to settle, a lifeless hand beckoned to her from below.

Blurb: England, 1290

Lord Alex Stelton can’t resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it’s his. Desperate for land of his own, he’ll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.

Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she’d never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.

Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can’t get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they’ll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/ZgvmDw

BN: http://bit.ly/ZQkCuY

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-guardian-s-witch

iBook:  http://bit.ly/TGWiBook

You can read my excerpt today on www.RuthACasie.blogspot.com Follow Ruth next week on Jenni Fletcher’s website www.jennifletcher.com Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of The Maxwell Ghost, part of The Stelton Legacy.

We’re onto week three of #MedMon18 and today I’m sharing an excerpt from Cathy MacRae’s The Highlander’s Crusader Bride.

Her perfume drifted to his nose. Something he could not place. His first wife had favored heavy floral scents, but Arbela’s was earthier, warm, spicy and intoxicating. Sensual.

Caelen risked a look at his bride. She faced away, speaking to one of her da’s knights. A pang shot through Caelen’s midsection. Jealousy? Ridiculous. The man had likely known her all her life. ’Twas natural they spoke together.

You can find my excerpt on Cathy’s blog.  Please join Cathy  next week on Jenni Fletcher’s blog http://www.jennifletcher.com/ for the next excerpt from The Highlander’s Crusader Bride!

You can buy a copy here The Highlander’s Crusader Bride

Born in the Holy Land only a few years after the Third Crusade, half-Armenian, half-Scot Arbela MacLean is a true daughter of the desert, beautiful and untamed. Trained to be a warrior to avoid her gentle mother’s fate, Arbela has honed her skills with Turkish bow and arrow, sword and throwing darts—and dreads the day her father choses a man for her to marry.

After more than thirty years in the Holy Land, Donal MacLean, Baron of Batroun, is recalled to Scotland, the last son available to take up leadership of clan MacLean. He brings with him knights, treasure, trade—and a daughter of marriageable age.
Caelen MacKern, known as the Bull of the Highlands, is cynical about women. His first marriage formed an alliance, and he did not grieve when his spoiled, immature bride passed away. He has agreed to marry again—against his better judgement—for the men, means and coin to recover from a devastating pestilence that all but wiped out his clan.

Though more than a little resentful at finding himself forced to remarry, Caelen’s proposal to Donal MacLean’s headstrong daughter nevertheless piques her interest. Each will receive what they want most from life—the ability to live as they please without interference from a meddling spouse. But their marriage of indifference will soon change to one of passion that neither Arbela nor Caelen could have predicted.